Portfolio Website Design Workbook | Pretty much everyone has a website nowadays, and that’s great! Setting up a website is no longer reserved only for the filthy rich business owners; in fact, it has never been more affordable, or easier. However, with that comes quite a new challenge: standing out! There are already almost a million photography websites out there, but it’s not all bad news – most of these websites absolutely suck. This is great news for you, because setting up an effective portfolio website isn’t as difficult as it might sound at first. All you need is some prep work, the right guidance, and a pinch of creativity!

At the end of the day, portfolio website is one of the most important tools for any professional photographer, so much so, in fact, that many photographers no longer have printed portfolios. An effective photography website will not only showcase the best examples of your work, but will also help you stand out from the crowd of other photographers in your area or your particular niche, grab the attention of a potential client, and grow your business. To help you set up a website that does just that, we found some of the most helpful design tips that will turn your website into a powerful lead generator!

Simple Is Better! | Portfolio Website Design Workbook

There are thousands of ways we could tell you this, but we’ll keep it simple – less is more! The advantages simple designs have over complex websites are practically endless. First of all, a simpler design will load a lot quicker, which will definitely boost user experience. Your visitors will definitely not sit around waiting for your website to finish loading, but they’re not the only ones paying attention – search engines like Google take the loading time into consideration when ranking the websites, which means a slow website can do much more damage to your marketing efforts than you think!

This is a photography website we’re talking about, after all, and the last thing you want is to set up a website that completely overshadows your work and detracts from the photos you’re trying to showcase. While using intricate designs, complex 3D elements and shadows might make your website unique and memorable, a simpler design will allow your visitors to focus on your work, which is ultimately your goal here!

Don’t Tell Them, Show Them! | Portfolio Website Design Workbook

Setting up a page where you can list the services and products you’re offering is a good idea, as well as including a short description with each, so your visitors can get a better idea of what you can do for them. However, no matter how well you describe your services, it won’t do you much good unless you can show it to a potential client. This is why your portfolio page will be critical for the success of your website, and it requires a lot more attention that most photographers give it.

Don’t upload absolutely every photo you ever took – this will only make your portfolio page feel like it’s dragging on and on. Not to mention, it will take forever to load! Instead, go through all of your works and choose only the very best examples that showcase your skills, creative vision and unique style of photography. Another thing worth mentioning is your area of specialization: if you’re a newborn photographer, there’s really no need to include high-end haute couture photography. As stunning as it might look, it won’t do anything in particular for you.

You’d be amazed just how many photographers set up a stunning website, choose the best examples of their work, and optimize the website for seamless performance, only to forget to include their contact details. The primary goal of your website is to showcase your work, sure, but you’re probably also setting it up to grow your business, so you’ll want to make sure you provide potential clients with all the information they need in order to hire you the moment they decide to reach out to you!

So, what’s most important? You should definitely start by including your phone number and the email address you check most frequently (not everyone prefers talking over the phone, after all) in the footer or the header of every page. This way, the moment a potential client decided to pick up the phone, they’ll have it right there, without having to abandon the page and go looking for your contact details. To take it up a notch, whenever we design a website for a client, we set up a separate page with additional contact details, including a contact form, which will allow the visitors to contact our client without ever abandoning their website.

Let Your Personality Shine | Portfolio Website Design Workbook

While most photographers might have access to the same equipment as you, as well as the same locations for the shoots, there’s one thing they can’t take away from you – your personality! Sure, you are a business owner, but at the end of the day, people do business with people, so let your visitors get to know you better to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Start with the about page and don’t just list your achievements and boring stats – instead, share bits and pieces about yourself. Another good idea is posting a personal blog post every now and then, as your visitors will be much more likely to hire you if they feel as if they already know (and like) you.

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Testimonials

I had been following Media Novak’s work for a while now and was always impressed with their logo work. The logo designs they came up with based on my wishes for what I wanted it to look like were above and beyond what I had imagined. The process itself was smooth and so easy. I gave input and they took it on board and applied it to the next design. I would highly recommend them any day!

Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

I cannot begin to say enough about Mark & the team at Media Novak. Their customer service has been TOP NOTCH! They have gone way beyond my expectations and dreams and have put together a website for me that I am so proud of… I actually can’t believe that it’s mine! If you are looking for a new website or new branding then look no further… contact these guys today!

Myrick Cowart – Photographer

Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate all of your help and your quick replies and editing, and well, everything. I will DEFINITELY be referring your team! I love my new logo and I love that it is completely my own and completely encompasses my brand. I really appreciate all of the time and effort your team has put into this project. Thank you again and again!

Bethany Petersen – Photographer

I decided to hire Media Novak after seeing a friends logo that I really liked. I sent them my ideas but I actually preferred one of their original concepts over my own ideas! They really understood the look and feel I was trying to achieve and I am delighted with my new logo! I found the process to be really enjoyable and smooth and emails were answered very quickly… a big thumbs up from me!

Karen McGowran – Photographer

Media Novak were helpful and listened to me as the client… never once tried to push their likes onto me… but they do offer good advice. I think what has mattered most to me was once we went live, they were very much still around to iron out little problems that only became noticeable to myself with the daily running of a website and a blog! I would highly recommend them to other businesses!

Jo-Ann Stokes – Photographer

Media Novak designed a beautiful website for me and I’m very satisfied with it. They listened to what I wanted and tailored the site to fit me and I really appreciate that. Their prices are reasonable and the quality is fantastic. I would highly recommend this company.

About Us

MediaNovak is a creative design agency that specializes in web design, online marketing, graphic design and corporate identity solutions. We started our company with some basic ideals—offer our customers exceptional design, while delivering a positive customer experience.

These ideals have helped grow our business and drive customers to our door. A majority of our business comes simply from “word of mouth” referrals—one customer telling another of the experience that we offer here. We consider this the ultimate compliment.